The federal government has disclosed that its effort to curb oil theft across the oil is yielding results as an oil theft situation assessment delegation deployed in the Niger Delta by President Bola Tinubu discovered an illegal oil connection on Saturday.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd on Sunday, Nigeria loses an average of 7.2 million dollars monthly from the illegal connection discovered at Owaza in Abia State.
Furthermore, NNPC explained that clandestine refineries, illegal bunkering operations and environmental devastation the team saw collectively translated into severe economic losses for the nation.
The delegation was led by the Minister of Defence, Malam Muhammed Badaru, has service chiefs, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, as members.
Other members are the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperipe Ekpo, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd., Malam Mele Kyari.
The Commander of “Operation Delta Safe’’, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, operatives of security agencies, and chief executive officers of regulatory agencies in the oil and gas sector were also part of the team.
The team visited the Trans-Niger Pipeline Right of Way in Owaza, Abia where an array of dismantled illegal connections were observed.